The Christmas Exchange
by AliasCWN
Summary: It's almost Christmas and everyone is thinking about the holiday. Do the Germans think like the Allies when it comes to Christmas?
1. Chapter 1

**The Christmas Exchange**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

The sun was setting as the two jeeps raced across the desert floor. The lead jeep swerved to avoid some rocks sticking up out of the endless sand. Its passenger reached for a grip on the dash of the battered vehicle as two of the wheels temporarily gripped only air. His teeth clicked together as the wheels once again hit the ground and the tires found renewed traction and threw sand in their wake.

The driver of the second jeep had a bit more warning and his evasive tactics were much less severe. He wheeled his vehicle around the rocks without tipping and followed in the tracks of the first jeep. His passenger didn't have to worry about being tipped out but he did have to cover his face to avoid breathing in the plumes of dust thrown up by the other vehicle.

"I say Troy; don't you think it would be wiser to slow down just a bit?"

The passenger in the lead jeep glanced back at the shouted question. For a moment he considered ignoring the query but commonsense won out. Reaching over to tap his driver on the shoulder he gave the order to slow down. With the decreased speed he released his hold on the dash and leaned back in his seat.

"What's the rush? The base will still be there tomorrow and no one is chasing us at the moment." Moffitt continued shouting as Tully pulled his jeep up alongside Troy's.

Troy acknowledged both truths with a self-conscious grin. "You're right. I guess I was just anxious to get back."

"I'm ready to go home too, but I would prefer if I were to arrive there in one piece. Racing across the desert in the dark is a recipe for disaster." Moffitt smiled at his counterpart. He understood Troy's reasons for hurrying. They both had more preparations to make if they wanted to surprise their drivers for the upcoming holiday. His thoughts went to the package he had been expecting. It was overdue and now it was quite likely that it would not arrive until after Christmas. It was disappointing but he would just have to find something else to give the younger men for a gift. He had sent for them in what he had considered to be a reasonable amount of time ahead of the upcoming celebrations but given the army's postal system, he wasn't too surprised at the delay. Surprising the other members of his team was an undertaking in itself. They spent so much time together and knew each other so well that it was hard to keep any kind of secret for very long. Still, he had made the effort, and this time he had believed that he had been able to pull it off. Only now the gifts were late and Christmas was only a few days away. He wasn't sure what else he could give the younger members of the team that they really wanted.

Troy was having similar thoughts as he watched their surroundings for any sign of trouble. His intended gifts were late too and he didn't really expect them to arrive before the big day. He was thinking about heading to the local market and looking for replacements before their gift exchange. If the gifts arrived later he would be able to present them at a later date. He knew his friends would understand. The mail was slow and unreliable at best. Mail, especially packages, had been known to be misplaced or lost altogether. Some found their way to the recipients later, although many of those had been opened along the way, either by careless handling or by unethical handlers. Troy hoped that his had just been delayed because of the sheer volume of Christmas packages and not lost in the system forever. Some of the mail was lost with ships that were sunk or planes that were shot down and he realized that that could hardly be avoided. The part he hated was knowing that some of the packages ended up in the possession of the men who were supposed to be responsible for sending it on to the intended recipient. The Army did its best to control that scenario but the Army was big and many of those unsavory characters slipped through the cracks.

Of course it wasn't always the results of American actions that prevented the mail from being delivered. They had once stumbled across a German patrol that had inadvertently captured some mail destined for an American unit. The soldiers hadn't been able to read the letters but they had been making good use of the contents of the packages. Troy smiled as he imagined some German soldier getting caught eating the cookies Tully's mom occasionally sent to Tully. Heaven help any German Tully caught eating one of his missing cookies, or anyone else for that matter.

That thought reminded Troy that a few days earlier Tully had received a package in the mail. He had immediately tucked it away in his footlocker but they all knew he had it. Troy suspected that there may have been some cookies packed in among the hand knitted socks and other goodies that Tully's folks had sent. His mouth watered at the possibility of Tully sharing his bounty from home. Tully was never stingy with his treats at any other time and Troy suspected that the only reason they hadn't already tasted them was because Tully was saving them for Christmas.

Hitch had immediately slowed the jeep at Troy's order and had allowed his tight grip on the steering wheel to loosen. He was relieved to be slowing down because hazards became harder to spot as the sun went down. Rocks that looked low enough to drive over could be just high enough to take out an oil pan. Soft sand could give way and drop a jeep just low enough to erase any perceived clearance over a hazard leaving them with a damaged vehicle. A hole in an oil pan would mean a death sentence for a jeep without any spare parts to fix it. And that wouldn't bode well for their quick return to base.

Squinting at the desert floor in front of the jeep, Hitch tried to pick the safest path. They would be looking for a camp soon and he didn't want to spend the better part of the night fixing a jeep if he could avoid it. He wanted to spend the night sleeping and dreaming of home and traditions they shared at Christmas. Tomorrow they would continue to the base and he could finish his own preparations for the holiday. Rumor had it that the Allies were trying to negotiate a twenty-four hour truce with the Axis powers for Christmas. That meant that they could all relax and forget about the war for that length of time. Midnight Christmas eve until midnight Christmas day; twenty-four hours of peace and quiet when no one killed anyone else just because they wore a different uniform.

Dietrich's base was the nearest German stronghold and if the captain agreed to a truce then Hitch was certain that he would stick to it no matter what. The rumor hadn't been confirmed yet, but Hitch was hopeful. He knew that he was ready for some Christmas good will and he suspected that the others were too. There was something magical about the season that seemed to bring out the best in people, at least in most of them. He hoped that nothing happened before the holiday to derail the truce talks.

Tully glanced over at Moffitt and grinned. Like Hitch, driving fast in the dim light made Tully uneasy. He knew as well as any of them how dangerous it could be to a jeep. He wouldn't have said anything to either sergeant but he was glad that the decision had been made to slow down. The rocks that Hitch had swerved to avoid looked like they were buried deep enough that they wouldn't have done any damage but it was hard to determine in the fading light. Like Hitch, he wasn't keen on spending the night fixing something that could easily have been avoided with a little care.

With the slower speed he could let his mind drift to the upcoming holiday. He smiled happily as he considered the preparations he had already made. The package from home had been impossible to keep a secret from the others since they had been there at mail call, but they didn't know for sure what the package contained. He had quickly tucked it away from curious eyes until he was ready to share what was inside. His folks were pretty self-sufficient on the farm and they had been saving their ration coupons so that they could send Tully a nice care package for Christmas. Not only had he received homemade cookies, but his mother had also included real coffee, sugar, and some handmade taffy that his sisters had made with the help of some older cousins.

Tully grinned happily to himself as he remembered the taffy pulls that used to turn his mother's kitchen into a sticky mess when his younger sisters insisted on helping. His mouth watered at the remembered flavor of the sweet concoction. He remembered how sticky it was and made a mental note to warn the others so that they didn't let the pieces he shared get all covered in sand. His mother had been concerned that the taffy would melt in the desert heat but Tully had assured her that it wouldn't matter. Melted or not, it would still taste the same. He could already see the faces of his teammates when they sampled the special recipe his mother used to make the taffy. Her taffy had won ribbons at the county fair every time she entered it. Her pies were award winners too, Tully remembered, but he hadn't been able to figure out a way for her to send him any of those.

All of the memories the season evoked made Tully homesick for his family and the cool mountains of Kentucky. He was feeling a little melancholy by the time they located a campsite for the night. His thoughts were still of home as he pulled his jeep in behind the other one already stopped in the wadi.

"Hitch, take first watch. Tully, it's your turn to cook. Heat something quick and put the fire out so we don't announce our presence here to everyone within ten miles." Troy climbed out of the jeep and immediately began issuing orders. As the second jeep rolled to a stop he motioned for Moffitt to join him at the front of the first jeep.

Moffitt reached under his seat for his map case. With the sky turning deep velvety black they would use the rapidly appearing stars to confirm their current coordinates. He hurried to join Troy at the front of the jeep.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Christmas Exchange**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 2

"You weren't hoping to reach the base before dark were you?"

Troy smiled as he shook his head at Moffitt's question. "I just wanted to get as close to home as possible before we stopped for the night."

"You were thinking of crossing the desert at night, with no lights. Really Troy?"

Troy smiled again as Moffitt teased him by repeating a comment that he had made on their first mission together. Moffitt had suggested driving through the night and Troy had finally agreed, much to his regret. They had been forced to stop while the privates worked on a wheel that had started to grind after driving on the rough terrain. If they hadn't been spotted by a German plane and spied on by a group of Arabs it may never have happened but those events had forced Troy to make a decision that had gone against his better judgement. Moffitt mentioned some version of it whenever he wanted to tease Troy. "Yeah, I know. It's still a bad idea, and I still know better, but sometimes I just get reckless." Troy grinned to show that he was kidding.

"Christmas is almost here."

"The day after tomorrow, I know that too."

"Do you believe that the Germans will agree to a twenty-four hour truce?"

Troy shrugged. "Who knows? Stranger things have happened."

Moffitt smiled a bit sadly. "Wouldn't it be nice to have a full twenty-four hours with none of us trying to kill the other one?"

"Yeah." Troy agreed soberly. "I can't imagine having to write a letter to tell a family that their soldier died on Christmas day. It's hard enough writing the letters on a normal day, that would be the worst."

"It would ruin Christmas for the rest of their lives I imagine. I know it would for me."

"It would for me too." Troy agreed. "It seems appropriate to make the day sacred and not mar it with guns and bombs."

"Not everyone celebrates Christmas you know."

"Maybe not, but I'd like to think that they would all appreciate one day free of killing just the same." He looked over to where Tully was heating their meals and sighed. "I like the idea of peace on earth, even if it only lasts twenty-four hours. I'll take what I can get."

"Peace on Earth to men of good will."

"You mean peace on Earth, good will to men?"

"I believe the original saying specified to men of good will." Moffitt explained. "In all honesty I believe there are some men who will never be happy with peace unless it is a type of their choosing. There are some tortured souls who seem to relish the chaos of war."

"Then let's pray that none of them are involved in the talks to try to get the truce."

"Amen to that." Moffitt agreed. "Twenty-four hours isn't a lot of time but many lives could be lost in that time without a truce. I, for one, shall pray that a truce is reached."

"I'll go along with that."

"What's that Sarge?" Tully asked as he returned to the jeeps for the mess kits.

"There's a rumor going around that there might be a truce for Christmas." Troy explained. "Moffitt and I were just saying that we hope it is approved."

"I heard that." Tully nodded. "Do you think there is really a chance?"

"Maybe." Troy shrugged. "But we'll probably be the last to know, especially if we don't get back to the base."

Tully grinned. "We'll make it Sarge. We should be there late tomorrow morning. That is if the Captain doesn't send us out again. I just hope they don't forget to tell us, sometimes I think we're gone so much that they forget about us altogether."

"The news will be all over the base if it happens." Troy grinned.

"Okay Sarge. Supper's almost ready; just give me time to dish it out."

"Thanks Tully that was fast."

"All I did was open a few cans and heat it up. You said you wanted fast." He jerked his head toward the small fire. "It took longer to get the fire started than it did to heat the meals. I'll put the fire out as soon as I'm done dishing out the food."

Troy looked over to see Moffitt smiling at the exchange. "I suppose we should eat before it gets cold. After all, Tully went to a lot of trouble to heat it for us. Besides, I want to turn in early. I have a feeling that you are going to want to leave at first light to return to the base."

"That's right." Troy responded easily. "If they do arrange a truce I'd like to be on the base to enjoy it."

"I agree." The Brit replied. "I heard several groups of men practicing their Christmas carols. I'd like to be there to hear them perform. I always enjoy the carolers, it adds a bit of home to the holidays."

"Why don't you join them?"

"No thanks, I have a singing voice like a rusty hinge. For everyone's sake I shall continue to enjoy them from the perspective of the audience."

"Sarge, Doc, supper's ready." Tully called from near their small fire.

"I think we should go eat before Tully throws it out." Moffitt laughed.

Troy sighed. "I'm really looking forward to Christmas dinner. Before we left I saw the cooks unloading a lot of frozen turkeys." He eyed their heated rations distastefully. "When was the last time we had turkey?"

"I honestly can't say." The Brit smiled mischievously. "We may have had it without knowing it; the origin of some of those meats is still a mystery."

"I know what you mean. I hope they don't ruin the turkeys. The turkey is my favorite part of the meal."

"I like plum pudding but I doubt that there will be any of that this Christmas." Moffitt sighed in disappointment.

"They don't make canned plum pudding?"

"Bite your tongue!" Moffitt gasped. "Canning it would ruin it!"

"Just asking." Troy chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Tully asked as the sergeants approached the fire to get their meals.

"Moffitt thinks that having canned plum pudding for Christmas would be a disaster." Troy explained.

"I didn't know it came in cans." Tully drawled as Troy burst out laughing. Tully looked from one sergeant to the other in confusion.

"It doesn't." Moffitt answered gruffly.

"Oh." Tully said.

"It's quite all right Tully." The British sergeant soothed. "Troy is just a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas."

"Hey! I like Christmas!"

"But not plum pudding?"

Troy grinned. "Actually, I don't even know what plum pudding is for sure." He admitted. "I don't think I've ever had it."

"Perhaps someday we can remedy that." The Brit suggested. "You don't know what you are missing."

"Any time you get your hands on some I would be more than willing to give it a try." Troy agreed.

"Your supper is getting cold." Tully interrupted in a scolding tone. Both sergeants turned to look at him in surprise. Tully grinned at both of them.

"Yes Mother." Troy replied with a straight face as Moffitt ducked his head to hide his smile.

"I'm going to take Hitch his supper." Tully announced. "You two behave until I get back." Their soft chuckles followed him as he carried a plate up to where Hitch stood guard.

"Everything okay?" Hitch asked after Tully had announced his presence.

"Everything's fine. Sarge and Doc are just getting into the Christmas spirit."

"They're drinking?" Hitch asked in surprise.

"Not that kind of spirit." Tully laughed. "Sarge is teasing Doc; something about canned plum pudding."

"I didn't know plum pudding came in cans."

Tully laughed as Hitch repeated the same thing that he had said earlier. "I guess it doesn't." Tully smiled. "And Doc was quick to set me straight when I said the same thing."

"Oh." Hitch smiled.

"I told them to behave until I get back. I think they need someone to watch over them tonight."

Hitch started to chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"I had my folks send me some coal candy from the coal region of Pennsylvania. It comes in little bags and looks like pieces of coal. They even give you a little hammer to break it up into smaller pieces. I was planning on giving it to Sarge and Doc for Christmas. We can tell them they got it for misbehaving while on patrol."

Tully laughed. "That should get them. I've heard of it but I've never seen any of it."

"It looks like real coal." Hitch insisted.

"Make sure I'm around when they find it."

"I got them some other stuff but I planned on giving them the coal first. I was hoping you'd help me sneak it in and put it on their pillows."

Tully grinned. "Sure, I can do that."

Hitch finished his supper and Tully took the plate back to their camp and cleaned it. He packed up the cleaning supplies and policed the camp. Troy and Moffitt were getting ready to turn in until their turn to stand watch.

"Sarge!" Hitch's urgent whisper drew all of their attention.

Troy looked up to see Hitch starring out into the darkness. Rather than call to him and ask what was wrong, Troy decided to climb the hill and see for himself. He stood next to Hitch and looked but he didn't see anything. "What is it?"

"I don't know Sarge." Hitch whispered back. "I heard something but I didn't see anything."

"What did it sound like?"

Hitch turned to look at Troy and bit his lip. "It sounded like someone tripped over something. You know, like their foot came down heavy when they tried to catch their balance."

"Where?"

"Over there. I only heard it once and I haven't heard anything else." Hitch pointed out into the desert with his free hand. He gripped his rifle tightly with the other hand.

Troy noticed the tight grip and reached out to touch his arm gently. "You go down to the camp. I want you and Tully to stay with the jeeps. Moffitt and I will check it out. If we run into more than we can handle I'll yell and you and Tully are to get out of here. Take the jeeps and run. No hesitation, just go."

"But Sarge."

"No buts Hitch, you can't help us if you get caught too."

Hitch nodded reluctantly and led the way to the jeeps. Troy explained the situation to Moffitt and the two sergeants prepared to go to investigate. Before he left Troy turned to the privates and repeated his orders.

"Where do you want us to wait for you Sarge?"

"If I have to yell we probably won't be coming back." Troy warned. "You'll be on your own. You can do this Hitch, we trust you to know what to do."

Hitch nodded but he didn't look convinced.

"You two be careful." Tully called as the sergeants left.

Hitch stood beside his jeep and looked over at Tully next to his vehicle. He tried to give him a confident smile but his unease came through. He moved closer to his jeep and chewed on his lip as he waited.

Tully shifted his position to watch the dunes behind them. They were both tense but ready to act if Troy yelled. The minutes passed and they were beginning to think that it had been a false alarm. Tully looked toward Hitch and opened his mouth to tell him that it would be all right.

"Hitch, go!"


	3. Chapter 3

**The Christmas Exchange**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 3

At Troy's yell Hitch and Tully spun around and slid into their seats. They tossed their weapons on the seats next to them and hit the starters on the jeeps. The tires threw sand in rooster tails behind them as the little vehicles shot from the wadi and raced out into the night.

Bullets whizzed past their heads as men appeared at the top edges of the wadi surrounding them. Bright flashes marked the ends of the rifle muzzles with each shot fired. The resulting effect looked like blinking lights marking the boundaries of the wadi.

The shots continued to ring out as Hitch gave a startled yelp and swerved his jeep violently to the side. He regained control and continued to put distance between his jeep and the wadi. Someone shouted behind them and in a nearby wadi a heavy engine roared to life.

Lights flared ahead of them and a pair of halftracks pulled out of a wadi and tried to cut them off. One of their heavy guns opened fire and Tully had to duck as bullets tore into the back of the seat next to him. He twisted the steering wheel and dodged around the armored vehicle as the gunner tried to correct his aim. Reaching between the seats he stuck his hand inside a canvas bag and pulled out a grenade. Using one hand he pulled the pin with his teeth and swung back toward the halftracks. He crowded close to the side and tossed the pineapple shaped projectile into the rear of the vehicle and twisted the wheel again. The German crew was too busy diving out of the vehicle to take any shots at him. By the time they could get back to their feet the jeep had vanished into the darkness.

Hitch saw the halftracks and reached for a grenade. The second halftrack turned toward him and he saw the gunner trying to clear a jammed gun. Reacting quickly before the gunner could be successful he tossed the grenade at the slower vehicle. The halftrack's driver saw him coming and tried to swerve out of the way. His grenade hit the side of the vehicle and bounced off. It landed in the sand where the steel tracks of the armored vehicle ran over it. The force of the explosion lifted the entire one side of the vehicle into the air only to come down with enough force to temporarily stun the gun crew. The driver tried to keep going but the blast had blown the track loose, leaving the lumbering vehicle disabled and unable to move. Hitch turned and followed Tully away from the scene of the battle. The Germans continued to fire at the escaping jeeps even after they had vanished into the dark of the surrounding desert.

Hitch and Tully kept the jeeps moving just in case there were more German vehicles out there waiting for them. They stuck to the open desert floor, avoiding the hills and wadis that could hide an enemy force. Once they were out into the desert and they were sure that there were no headlights following them they pulled the jeeps to a stop.

"Are you all right Hitch?" Tully parked next to the other jeep and began to jump out. He'd heard the cry and was expecting the worst.

"I'm okay. What about you?"

"I'm not the one who cried out back there when the bullets were flying." Tully growled in a fair imitation of Troy.

"A bullet hit my steering wheel." Hitch explained. "It stung like crazy! I yelled because it surprised me, but I'm not hurt."

"Are you sure?" Tully moved closer to check for himself.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Are you okay?"

Tully laughed in relief. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"What happened back there? Sarge said he was only going to yell if they got in over their heads."

"I don't know." Tully shrugged. "Sarge said to take off if he yelled and that's what we did. I guess we'll have to go back and find out; but we're going to have to be careful."

"Really careful." Hitch agreed. "If they got caught the krauts are going to be expecting us to come back for them."

"We don't have a choice; we have to go back for them. There is no way we can let the krauts keep them, especially this close to Christmas."

"We can circle around and try to beat them back to the base." Hitch suggested.

"And then what? The number of guys shooting at us back there suggests a column at least. We can't take on a column with just one jeep. Not if we want to live to see Christmas."

"I didn't see anything Tully. I told Sarge that." Hitch kept his voice low with guilt. "I told Sarge I heard something but I never guessed it would come to this."

"Sarge must have had his suspicions." Tully answered. "Otherwise he wouldn't have given us the orders he did."

"I should have been the one who went to investigate."

"You know Sarge; he had to take the risk himself. But at least we got clear and we are free to go after them. We know the krauts are going to be expecting us but that's not unusual."

"Why did this have to happen so close to Christmas?"

Tully gave a shrug. "It just happened Hitch; I don't think Christmas had anything to do with it."

"I wonder if Dietrich has any Christmas spirit."

"Maybe he does. Maybe he won't ship them out to a POW camp until we've had time to rescue them."

"Ha! If he keeps them on his base it will because he wants a chance to catch us too, not because he wants to give us time to help them." Hitch huffed.

"Where is your Christmas spirit?"

"What?"

"I think we owe it to the captain to give him a chance to get his Christmas wish. If he blows it then at least we gave him a shot at it. It's the least we can do, it's Christmas." Tully grinned.

"What?"

"We have to go after Sarge and Doc; it's what the captain would want us to do."

Hitch smiled. "You're right. We should give him a chance to make his Christmas wish come true, I just hope it doesn't work out too well for him."

"We'll have to make sure it doesn't."

The two privates smiled at the thought of thwarting the plans of their favorite German.

"Maybe we should leave him a consolation prize. You know, something he can use to forget his troubles." Tully decided.

"Like what?"

Tully grinned as a thought occurred to him. "I just happen to have a bottle of brandy that I got off of a supply sergeant. I was saving it for our celebration. You know how Sarge likes a little drink every now and then."

Hitch looked at Tully I surprise. "You'd give Dietrich the bottle you were saving for Sarge?"

Tully nodded. "We'd be getting the better gift, Sarge and Doc back with us."

"Yeah you're right. I'd give anything to have them back."

"Then it's settled, unless you have a better idea."

"No, I can't think of anything we have that Dietrich would want." Hitch answered thoughtfully. "Unless."

"Unless what?"

"Do you remember Dietrich telling Sarge the part he hates most about being an officer?"

"Yeah, I think so. He hates writing letters to the families of the dead. You aren't suggesting that we try to write those letters are you?"

"No, neither one of us writes in German." Hitch answered. "I was thinking that maybe we could be extra careful and try not to kill any more of his men before Christmas."

"All right, only the ones who are absolutely necessary. We don't put ourselves at risk for anyone but Sarge and Doc."

"Agreed."

"It does kind of feel right; after all, it's almost Christmas." Tully nodded.

"Do you think we can go in tonight to get Sarge and Doc?"

"I hope so." Tully answered. "Tomorrow night is Christmas eve." He looked over at his jeep and sighed. "I think we should check the jeeps before we go. I don't know about you but some of those bullets came awful close to hitting me. I want to be sure the jeep wasn't damaged. We may have to outrun more Germans before this is over."

"I had a few close calls too." Hitch answered, shaking his still tingling hand.

"It's a good thing Doc wasn't seated next to me." Tully pointed to the bullet holes in the seat. "That seat got hit a couple of times. I thought I heard some of the gear in the back getting hit too."

"Hey! My extra water can got hit." Hitch called as he examined his jeep. "They missed the box of hand grenades by sheer luck."

"The water can probably protected it." Tully drawled as he looked up from his inspection. "That's why Sarge always insists that we store them there. He says the water slows the bullets and keeps them from penetrating the wooden box we keep the grenades in."

"Kind of hard on the water cans though." Hitch noticed.

"Yeah, but the water won't blow you into next week."

Hitch fell silent and they both finished their examinations. Other than a few new holes the jeeps were undamaged. Hitch used the water from the damaged water can to fill both radiators so they wouldn't lose the water to evaporation. They would have to count on Tully's extra water if they needed to fill them again.

"Well that does it." Tully dropped his hood and stepped back. "I guess it's time to go back."

Hitch nodded his agreement.

"We'll get them back Hitch."

"I know." The blond answered. "I was just wondering if Dietrich will take them back to the base to set his trap or if he will try to catch us out here."

"My guess is that he will leave some of his men out here to try to catch us but he will want Sarge and Doc locked up in the cells on his base."

"Then we should head directly for the base and avoid the traps he has set up out here."

"Sounds like a plan." Tully agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Christmas Exchange**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 4

After leaving Hitch and Tully to guard the jeeps the two sergeants crept through the darkness toward the hill where Hitch had heard the sound. There was no need to talk; they both knew what needed to be done. Troy had briefly considered just taking the jeeps and finding a new camp but it was late and he hadn't wanted to risk the vehicles by traveling after dark unnecessarily. The chance of them making camp right next to a German patrol this close to the American lines was slim, not worth risking the jeeps. It was possible that if they had neighbors they were Arab, but Arabs were usually pretty quiet when they moved. He believed that Hitch had heard something, but even Hitch hadn't been able to identify it positively. Still, the danger was there, so he had taken precautions to make sure that the privates had a chance to get away if things went wrong. He just hoped that if things did go wrong that neither youth would hesitate to run as ordered.

Everything was quiet in front of them. If anyone was out there they weren't moving anymore. The terrain was becoming more and more rocky with brush and scraggly trees scattered among the rocks. It was an ideal place for concealment if one chose to hide. The hairs on the back of Troy's neck stood on end as the tension mounted. He paused often to listen in hopes of hearing what had aroused Hitch's suspicions. At one point he almost told Moffitt that they were going to go back and get out of there, but he didn't commit to the decision. He was reconsidering that option when he glanced over and saw Moffitt pause in mid-step with one foot in the air. Moffitt's head turned to the side and his eyes widened in surprise.

It all happened so fast, one minute Moffitt was moving forward and the next he was down with two Germans soldier on top of him. Troy saw him try to push one of them off as the second raised his rifle like a club.

"Hitch, go!" Troy yelled as he ran toward the struggling trio.

More soldiers jumped up from behind the rocks where they had been hiding and ran to intercept Troy. Several of them jumped him, tripping him before he could reach Moffitt. He twisted and poked his elbow into one guy's stomach, shoving with all of his might. The German fell back, tumbling into the legs of the soldier behind him. Troy twisted again in an attempt to buck the next soldier off of his back. The German clung to his shoulders, his hot breath on the sergeant's neck. Troy felt a sudden chill as the warm breath hit his skin. The sensation gave him a sense of helplessness that he didn't like and he struggled harder against it. Fighting the feeling, Troy managed to roll and get on top of his assailant. The German released his grip on Troy's shoulders with a grunt as the air was forced from his lungs. The sergeant rolled again but his momentum was stopped when he was kicked in the side by another German. He tried to get his feet under him so he could stand.

"That's enough Sergeant!" Captain Hans Dietrich stood by some rocks near more if his men. The soldiers had the two sergeants surrounded and their rifles were aimed directly at them.

Troy relaxed, letting the soldiers lying on the ground next to him grab his arms. One of them picked up the sergeant's fallen weapon and stepped quickly away. Looking over Troy saw Moffitt lying motionless under a pile of German soldiers. As the soldiers began to climb to their feet it was obvious that the British sergeant was unconscious.

"Is Moffitt all right?"

Dietrich took his eyes off of Troy to look over at the unconscious man. He gave an order and one of his men bent to check for a pulse. After a moment he looked up at his captain and nodded. He spoke briefly and Dietrich responded. The captain looked back at Troy and gave a slight nod. "He is just unconscious. One of my men hit him over the head. He should wake up soon."

Troy glanced over again and noted the slow steady breathing. "Okay, you got us, now what?"

Dietrich raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Now Sergeant, you are my prisoners. I would tell you to call to your men but you have already done that. My men are on the tops of the dunes surrounding the wadi. I just hope that you haven't caused the deaths of your men by sending them out to try an escape."

They all paused to listen as the German rifles opened fire on the fleeing jeeps. They could hear the jeep motors as they grew fainter. Many of them jerked at the sounds of the grenades going off. The rifles continued to fire even after they could no longer hear the jeeps.

Troy smiled slightly as the firing died down. "I hope you didn't kill any of your men trying to stop them Captain. It would be a shame to have to write letters to their families this close to Christmas."

Dietrich's face looked like a storm cloud had settled on it. He ordered some of his men to find out what had happened. His frown eased some as they reported back to him.

"It would seem that your men damaged my halftracks but the crews survived." The officer reported. "Is it possible that they were reluctant to kill this close to Christmas too?"

"It's possible Captain, but I wouldn't count on if you meet again."

"I expect to meet them again, and soon." The captain smiled. "They will come after you and I will be waiting."

"Off the record Captain, I'm glad you won't have to write those letters before Christmas; but I hope you don't meet Hitch and Tully before then either. I hope they head back to the base until after the holiday."

Dietrich looked pensive for a moment. "Thank you Sergeant, but we both know your men will come. I will make every attempt to take them alive if they will allow it, because of the holidays." He added.

"They aren't fools Captain. They know you'll be waiting for them."

"Yet they will come anyway." Dietrich pointed out. "Some would consider your loyalty to each other a weakness Sergeant. It makes you predictable."

Troy smiled. "Yet you still haven't managed to get rid of us."

"Perhaps that will be my Christmas present this year."

"That or you just may get a bag of coal." The sergeant grinned.

"We shall see Sergeant."

Moffitt groaned and attempted to get to his feet. Dietrich ordered his men to help him up. Once standing the sergeant looked around. "Hitch and Tully?"

"They got away." Troy answered before Dietrich could stop him.

"Not entirely." The German officer explained. He told one of his men to repeat his report.

"He says that one of them yelled and his jeep swerved sharply before he continued to drive away. The soldiers present think that he was hit." Moffitt translated for Troy.

"Will your sense of loyalty allow an injured man to suffer Sergeant? Tell me where they went and I can get him medical attention."

"No way Captain, we're not helping you. They aren't that far from our lines, they can go to our base for help." Troy growled.

"If they can make it. You didn't want any of my men to die so close to Christmas, what about yours? Don't you have a responsibility to save your men?"

"That's what I'm doing Captain. I won't help you catch them."

"Very well Sergeant." The officer sighed. He ordered his men to take the prisoners back to their camp and secure them for the night. He led some of his men to the camp that the Americans had abandoned. As expected, the jeeps were gone. The only sign that they had even been there was the still warn embers of the small fire. Dietrich had his men look around but there was nothing to be found. He smiled to himself, what had he expected, a map with their new location marked for him to find? Calling to his men they returned to their own camp in the nearby wadi.

Once back in his own camp he ordered the guards doubled. As an extra precaution he had even more guards hide themselves around the perimeter of the camp. They were told to stay out of sight until he called for them. The rest of his men were told to get some sleep but to sleep with their weapons close at hand.

Dietrich retired to his tent and tried to get some rest. He found it difficult, if not impossible. Every tiny sound brought him to full alert. Each time he found himself reaching for the luger he kept under his pillow. When the camp was quiet he had visions of the two privates slipping noiselessly past his guards to free the two sergeants. Even worse, he imagined them slipping up behind his men and dispatching them with the razor sharp knives they carried. He had had more than enough examples of their skills to ever assume that his camp was completely secure.

Restless, he left his tent to make a circuit of the camp. The guards were alert, nodding to him as he passed. The vehicles were as they had left them, lined up in single file the length of the wadi. He found himself leaning down to check underneath for explosives without meaning to. There weren't any but that only convinced him that the two privates had some other scheme in mind to rescue their sergeants.

He paused to check the prisoners chained to the frame of one of the halftracks. Both men were sleeping peacefully. He stared at them for several seconds before he realized his mistake. Of course there were no explosives under the vehicles; the sergeants would be injured if the vehicles were destroyed. Trying to see it from the private's points of view, he turned to assess the threats to the camp.

The guards were in danger; they would have to be compromised in order for a rescue to be successful. He immediately ordered each guard to keep track of the man on either side of him. By overlapping the checks he hoped to spot a missing man before any others died.

The vehicles would be safe so he disregarded them for the present.

How else could two men defeat a force the size of his column?

The answer was so simple that he almost laughed out loud. Calling to his second in command, he arranged a surprise for anyone trying to enter his tent. It would be just like Troy's men to try to capture him and attempt to exchange him for their sergeants. Taking his bedroll, he made his bed in the rear of one of the trucks. After hours of tossing and turning, waiting for his trap to be sprung, he finally fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Christmas Exchange**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 5

Dietrich awoke the next morning stiff and sore from sleeping in the truck. He rubbed a hand across his face as he recalled the events of the night before. His good fortune at being in the right place at the right time had allowed him to catch half of the Rat Patrol but the other half had proven to be elusive. He admitted, if only to himself, that only pure chance had put his enemies within his grasp. If he had bypassed this particular wadi as he had originally planned, or the Americans had chosen a different wadi than the one they had picked, the sergeants would not now be his prisoners. His only regret was that his luck hadn't held long enough for the capture of the privates too.

Thinking of the last two members of the enemy team reminded him of the trap he had set in his tent. He slipped quickly from the truck and rushed over there, hoping against all odds that his men had captured the younger 'rats' and hadn't wanted to wake him with the news. Pushing his way through the door he stopped at the sight of his guards still waiting. Disappointed, he sent his men to rest until the column was ready to return to their base.

Recalling the report that one of Troy's men had cried out during their escape he began to wonder if one of them had indeed been wounded. He stalked across the camp to where the prisoners were starting to stir.

"Sergeant Troy."

"Captain." Troy put his back against the track of the halftrack and looked up at the tall German officer.

"I believe that one of your men was indeed wounded yesterday." Dietrich saw a flare of emotion in the sergeant's eyes before it was gone. "I know we have our differences Sergeant, but I have no wish to see one of your men die this close to Christmas. It may be possible to help them Sergeant. Tell me where they went and we will go look for them. If one of them is injured we will get him medical attention."

"Not that again Captain."

"I am trying to help Sergeant." Dietrich went on earnestly. "Like you, I have no wish to see anyone die needlessly so close to such a sacred day. I have no wish for any family to receive such a telegram or letter at such a time. This should be a time for peace, not war."

"And what would happen after you had your doctor fix them up?"

"They would be prisoners of course." Dietrich saw the look on Troy's face and hurried on. "But he would be alive Sergeant. Isn't being a prisoner better than being dead?"

"How do we know that one of them is even hurt? Your men claim to have heard a yell, that's hardly proof." Troy glanced over at Moffitt for his opinion.

"Perhaps the cry came from one of your men Captain." The Brit suggested calmly.

"They didn't come to your rescue last night."

"That just means that they weren't foolish enough to fall into your trap." Troy shrugged. "You didn't really expect them to just walk in here and let you capture them did you?" The sergeant laughed as the captain's expression gave him away. That thought had crossed his mind. "Sorry Captain, we can't help you."

"Can't, or won't?"

"Both." Troy admitted. "I told them to go, to get away. I have no idea where they went or if they are coming back. If they went to the base the Captain might not let them come back. He will realize that you are waiting for them and he may forbid them to return."

"Your men won't be stopped that easily." Dietrich decided.

"They follow orders."

"Yours, yes, but orders to abandon the two of you, perhaps not." Eyeing the prisoners speculatively, he made a decision. "We are going to return to our base and wait for them there. When they come we will be ready. I don't believe that they would willingly leave you behind."

"Suit yourself Captain, but don't say we didn't warn you."

Dietrich stalked off leaving the sergeants to watch him go.

"Do you believe him?" Moffitt asked when they were alone again.

"I don't know." Troy growled. "He seems to believe it."

"He said his men reported hearing a cry. That was what the soldier reported when he asked him to repeat what he had said."

"A cry could mean any number of things. It hardly proves that one of them was wounded. I'm not convinced that either one of them was wounded."

"He said the jeep swerved." Moffitt repeated the words from the night before.

"They were being shot at, of course they swerved. That doesn't prove anything either."

"They didn't come for us last night."

"They aren't fools." Troy nearly snarled. "And if Dietrich keeps acting like they are he's in for a rude awakening. They had to know that he'd be waiting for them."

"All good points." Moffitt admitted. "Are there any other reasons to think that Dietrich might be correct?"

"None that he's mentioned."

"Then I think that we should trust the lads to stay safe and follow orders."

Troy smiled. "That's the problem. All I told them to do was get out of here. I didn't specify what they should do after that."

Moffitt chuckled. "That may be a good thing. That just means that they won't be disobeying orders when they do come for us."

"My thoughts exactly, only that wasn't what I had in mind when I gave the order."

Moffitt smiled again but didn't add any comment.

"We need to be ready when they make their move. Dietrich is going all out to catch them and they may need a little help." Troy sighed as he thought about all of the things that could go wrong. "This is going to be a long day."

"Even longer for them I'll wager."

"Dietrich posted extra guards last night."

"I noticed." Moffitt nodded toward the trucks. "He had guards waiting in his tent too; he slept in a truck last night."

"Paranoid?"

"With good reason."

"They didn't fall for any of his tricks though. Hopefully whatever it is they have planned is as carefully thought out." Troy took a look around at the surrounding hills. He didn't feel like he was being watched and he didn't know if he should be worried or relieved.

"I don't think they're out there Troy." Moffitt whispered when he noticed where Troy was looking. "I think we would be able to sense their presence if they were watching us."

"I know, I was thinking the same thing. I don't know if that makes me happy or worried." Troy kept staring at the hills beyond the wadi.

"What are you watching for?"

Troy glanced over at Moffitt and smiled. "Have you noticed that we are being watched?"

"By the Germans, yes but I don't have any sense of being watched by friendly eyes."

"The Germans don't know that." Troy grinned. "They watch us watching the hills and they start to get nervous. How long do you think they will keep it up before they decide it's nothing and ignore what we do?"

"You're using psychology on them?"

"Do you have anything better to do right now? Let the strain take its toll and they might be a little slower to react when Tully and Hitch do make their move."

The British sergeant smiled. "You're quite right; I don't have anything better to do. Messing with them might even help pass the time."

"That's the spirit. Pretend we know they're out there and let's let the krauts worry until they're exhausted."

Moffitt laughed and began to take frequent peeks at the surrounding hills.

It wasn't long before they caught the Germans watching the hills too. It became a game to see how nervous they could make the guards. By the time the column was ready to pull out the guards were nervous and restless.

In the truck the sergeants weren't allowed to talk. They made a point to exchange looks when they knew the guards were watching. Occasionally one or the other would look past the guards to the desert beyond and then nod to the other sergeant. Sometimes they would duck their heads like they had something to hide. They smiled to themselves every time they caught one of the guards staring at the desert behind them. And all the while they were praying that the privates wouldn't attempt to attack the column on their own.

Dietrich stood in the front of his halftrack and used his field glasses to scan the surrounding terrain. The road back to the German base wound its way through several narrow valleys. Every time they entered one of the valleys Dietrich expected to see the American jeep come dashing over the top to attack his column. Each time they failed to appear he would release the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and he would try to relax until the next one.

A glance at his driver revealed that is own nervousness had transferred to his driver. The man's hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. The gun crew in the rear of the halftrack was scanning the desert while keeping a firm grip on the handles of the heavy machine gun mounted to the floor. They were trying to look in every direction at once with limited success. The display reminded Dietrich of how formidable the tiny Allied unit could be as an enemy. Even with the sergeants confined to the truck in chains the remaining two members had the ability to keep his men jumping at shadows. The Captain vowed to give his men a serious pep talk as soon as they had the prisoners safely locked in the cells. The finest troops of the proud German Afrika Korps shouldn't be afraid of shadows, or of two mere men of flesh and blood.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Christmas Exchange**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 6

When the column rolled through the gates of the base later that day Dietrich could have sworn that he heard a collective sigh of relief from his men. He was tempted to join them but caught himself at the last second. It wouldn't do to have his men see him show any sign of weakness. Troy and his little band of marauders had threatened his image in front of his men too many times already. He refused to allow his relief to show no matter how much he wanted to drop his guard and just let his knotted muscles relax.

As soon as his vehicle stopped he jumped to the ground and began issuing orders to his men. He sent both prisoners to the cells under the watchful eyes of double the usual number of guards. Then he headed to his office to start working on a sentry rotation that would be hard for a fly to get through undetected. When darkness fell he would put the men in position to catch a couple of rats.

Lieutenant Beitner knocked on his door several hours later to report that all of the preparations had been completed. Dietrich dismissed the young officer and retired to his quarters to try to get some rest before the night began. The previous night had proven to be less than relaxing and he was running on fumes. If the night turned out as he expected he wanted to be in top form for the quick decisions he would need to make. He had promised Troy that he would try to take the privates alive and he intended to keep that promise. It was Christmas Eve, and truce or no truce; he didn't want any deaths on his conscience on such a sacred night.

The delivery of his evening meal awoke him from his nap. He ate a leisurely meal, in no rush to get back into the war. He had dreamed of shadows sneaking around his base so he wasn't as rested as he had hoped to be. His abrupt manner when the food was delivered had sent the cook's helper scurrying back to the kitchen so there was no one to talk to as he ate. He wiped the residue of sleep from his eyes and went over his plans in an attempt to cover everything that could be predicted.

With his hunger satisfied he found that he was restless. Night had still not fallen so he spent the next several hours checking and rechecking all of his preparations. Lieutenant Beitner had organized the sentry details and all of his men knew what they were to do. Remembering his earlier decision to give them a pep talk, he spent some time building up their confidence. By the time he dispatched them to their positions they were all eager to meet the challenge.

Despite the danger presented by having Troy and Moffitt in his cells the men off duty were in a festive mood. On more than one occasion he passed soldiers singing their favorite Christmas songs. As he walked back to his office he wondered how many men he would lose before the night was out.

"Captain!"

He turned to see one of the clerks from the radio room running after him. The clerk slid to a stop in front of him and handed him a message. It was a pleasant surprise to find that some last minute negotiations had resulted in the agreement to call a truce. He glanced at his watch and went back to his office to inform the men on the base. The resulting reaction was such that he felt the need to remind them that the truce didn't actually start until midnight. That dampened the mood only slightly. After another look at his watch and he decided to head for the cells.

"The guards are hidden out of sight Captain." Lieutenant Beitner informed him when he entered the cell block. "Everything is as you ordered."

"Very well Lieutenant. Did you hear the announcement?"

"Yes sir." The young officer nodded excitedly. "A twenty-four hour truce. I was beginning to think that the rumor was just a rumor."

"It is real Lieutenant, and you know what that means?"

"What is that Sir?" The young officer asked in confusion.

"The Rat Patrol has only until midnight to rescue their sergeants. They would not break the truce, of that I am sure. We need only keep them out for another half hour."

"There have been no sightings yet Sir." The junior officer reported. "With all of the men on the wall I don't see how they could hope to get through."

"They are very resourceful Lieutenant."

"Yes sir, but they only have thirty minutes."

Dietrich nodded and walked down the corridor to the cells where Troy and Moffitt were watching everything going on. "Did you hear the announcement Sergeant?"

"They have agreed on a truce." Moffitt answered.

"Your men do not have much time Sergeant. I am afraid that you will be spending the rest of the war in a POW camp."

"The truce only lasts twenty-four hours Captain."

"And by then I will have you miles from here and well on your way. A transport will leave here tomorrow and you will be on it."

"What, you don't want to spend Christmas with us? I think my feelings are hurt Captain."

"Joke all you want Sergeant, but your men are too late."

"I wouldn't say that Captain." A new voice entered the conversation.

"Tully!"

"Hi Sarge." Tully grinned.

Dietrich turned to see his men standing at the end of the corridor. The two missing men of the Rat Patrol were standing behind them with weapons covering them.

"How did you get in here?"

"Magic Captain. It's that time of year. Anything is possible at Christmas if you believe."

The captain looked at his men and back at the men behind them. Any move on their part would result in someone being killed. Troy's warning that he could not count on the privates to continue to avoid bloodshed seemed to be justified if their expressions were any indication.

"You are aware that all I have to do is yell and this entire building will be surrounded? You will not be able to fight your way out against those odds."

Neither private looked worried. "We thought of that Captain." Tully confirmed. "But we have a plan."

"A plan?"

"Yep. You're going to get us out of here."

"And if I refuse?"

"You won't Captain. Christmas is tomorrow. You want all of your men to have a merry Christmas don't you? Being dead or stuck in a hospital wouldn't be any fun."

Dietrich didn't acknowledge the validity of the statement in so many words but Tully saw the acceptance in his eyes.

"We have to move." Troy urged.

"We heard, the truce starts in half an hour."

"Open the door Captain." Troy ordered. "Tell your men to get in here. You can let them out to celebrate Christmas after we're gone."

Dietrich didn't move. "What about the guards that you had to pass to get in here?"

"What about them?"

"How many letters will I have to write to grieving families?"

Tully glanced over at Hitch. "We had to silence four of them Captain."

Dietrich nodded. "I suppose I should be grateful that there are not more."

"So help us get out of here Captain." Troy suggested. "Prevent any more deaths. None of us want to die on Christmas. And I can only speak for myself, but I don't want to have to kill anyone on Christmas either. I'd rather practice peace even if it only lasts a short time. We can start our truce early and spread a little good will of our own."

"Very well Sergeant, I will help you get off of the base. In exchange, I want to know where your men left the bodies of the men they killed. It would not be right to leave them alone at Christmas. They deserve a proper burial."

"We'll tell you as soon as we each the gate." Tully promised.

Dietrich ordered the cell unlocked and he ordered his men to wait quietly until his return. Taking Lieutenant Beitner with him, he escorted the four men of the Rat Patrol to the gate of the base. At the gate he paused and looked at his watch. "It is midnight Sergeant; the truce begins now. You and your men may leave with no fear of retaliation."

"Thank you Captain, and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas indeed." The captain huffed in defeat. "Perhaps not so merry for all. Where are the bodies of my men Private?"

"There is an unused building near the back wall. It's an old shed with the door half off."

"I know the building."

"They are in there Captain."

Dietrich nodded once, a sad expression on his face. He didn't say another word as he watched his enemies walk into the darkness. After they were gone he collected a few men to help with the bodies. Making their way to the shed, they passed some soldiers singing carols. He almost ordered them to stop but decided not to ruin their celebration. The news of the deaths would reach them soon enough.

Pausing in front of the sagging door, Dietrich braced for the task ahead. Wanting to be the first to enter, he stepped forward. Lieutenant Beitner ran into his back as he stopped suddenly at the sight before him. Bound and gagged, the bodies squirmed and wiggled in vain attempts to free themselves. The sight of them alive was more of a shock than seeing the privates in the cellblock had been; a shock, but this time, a pleasant one. Rushing forward, he ordered them untied. Their fellow soldiers patted them on the back and congratulated them on surviving heir encounter with the Rat Patrol. They decided to start their Christmas celebration right then and there. Dietrich dismissed all of the men and watched as they left, their happy chatter filling the darkened street.

"What is this?"

Dietrich jerked at the voice. He hadn't realized that Lieutenant Beitner had remained behind. As he turned he noticed that the lieutenant was pointing at a cloth wrapped bundle with his name on it. Dietrich picked it up and began to unwrap it.

"Captain, it might be a bomb."

"No lieutenant, it was left as a gift. Just as the lives of those men were a gift. This is the season of giving, not taking. They let them live because tomorrow is Christmas."

The young officer watched the bundle curiously as Dietrich unwrapped it. "A bottle of brandy?"

"It appears so." The captain answered with a smile. He unfolded a note that was tied to the bottle. Tully and Hitch and wished him a merry Christmas. He smiled as he read the note. He'd lost his prisoners but gained a bottle of brandy. Thinking on it, he decided that it wasn't a bad exchange at all. Silently, he sent them a warm merry Christmas too.

In the darkness of the surrounding desert the Rat Patrol was pulling the covers from their hidden jeeps. They piled in and headed for a campsite that they had used before. The ride was silent as each of them got lost in their own thoughts. It wasn't often that they could afford to let their guard down but tonight seemed to be one of those rare occasions. They made it to the site and set up their camp before turning in.

"Tully?"

"Yeah Sarge?"

"How did you get past the guards? Moffitt and I saw Dietrich ordering a lot of extra guards to the wall."

"Yeah, we saw them too." Tully gave his sergeant a grin. "There sure were a lot of them."

"So how did you get past them?"

"Well I'll tell you Sarge, it was all in the timing."

"And?"

"We didn't try to follow Dietrich back to the base after he caught you." Tully explained. "We headed directly there. We snuck on the base before he got back. We heard the column return from our hiding place in that shed."

"We were already on the base before he sent the guards to the wall." Hitch clarified.

Troy looked over at Moffitt and laughed.

"We were glad to see you." Moffitt stated. "We were a little surprised that you made it though. Dietrich went all out to stop you."

"Like I said Sarge, it was all in the timing."

"Dietrich won't underestimate you again I bet." Troy smiled.

"His Christmas was probably ruined." Moffitt added. "He didn't get to keep us and he lost some men."

"Yeah." Troy agreed. "I think that part bothered him more than losing us. He hates writing those letters any time but now is probably harder than normal."

"I wouldn't feel too bad for the captain." Hitch answered. "We left him a couple of presents."

"Presents?"

"Yeah." Tully added. "We didn't kill those guards; we just tied them up and left them for Dietrich."

"We also left him something to help him get over his disappointment." Hitch added.

"What else?"

"I had a bottle of brandy." Tully explained. "We thought it might make a good gift to help him drown his sorrows."

"It ought to help." Moffitt smiled. "Maybe we should have stuck around to help him commiserate."

Tully laughed. "Don't worry Doc; I saved the other bottle for us."

Troy laughed. "Now I feel guilty. Our gifts didn't arrive and we have nothing to give you."

"That's all right Sarge." Hitch answered as he looked at the sergeants and then over at Tully. "Tully and I already got what we wanted for Christmas."


End file.
